Billy Joel begins first of 10 shows at Mohegan Sun

Saturday

May 24, 2008 at 12:01 AMMay 24, 2008 at 4:27 PM

To be fair, Joel delivered exactly what was asked — a generous portion of hits, carbon copied right off the vinyl. But at this first of 10 consecutive shows for Joel at the Uncasville venue, there was no extra oomph.

Tim Malcolm

He dug deep into the nostalgia bucket, pulling out a slew of fan favorites. But what Billy Joel probably didn’t realize was a roadie would proclaim carpe diem, punt the bucket away and bridge the piano man’s Friday night show at Mohegan Sun Arena from mediocre to mammoth.

To be fair, Joel delivered exactly what was asked — a generous portion of hits, carbon copied right off the vinyl. But at this first of 10 consecutive shows for Joel at the Uncasville venue, there was no extra oomph. Maybe Joel should’ve been the one to punt the bucket; instead, he played it safe. The piano sounded like a carnival, but the microphone smelled like a Dasani.

The brightest spots came after that roadie, Chainsaw, shook the crowd with a voracious version of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.” Joel fed off the crowd’s fresh faces and sauntered deliciously through new wave/punk slapper “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” twirling and canoodling the microphone stand like a flimsy lover. Then he pounded out the force-worthy “You May Be Right,” ending the proper set with a thankful blow.

Joel’s encore included instant sing-alongs “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” “Only the Good Die Young” and “Piano Man,” all well received and all positive notes.

Before Chainsaw, however, the highlights were more sporadic. Opener “Angry Young Man” found Joel pinching the ivories with gusto. He let his hands do the talking, mimicking the song’s colorful lyrics as he curiously found the sell-out crowd of 9,448 all around him.

Joel’s in-the-round stage allowed the piano man to play to his entire contingent; at times the piano would rotate, giving all fans close enough a chance to witness Joel’s fascinating finger work. His band, comprising mostly New York-area players, moved around the stage, and a saxophone trio lined up for brassy hits such as “Keeping the Faith.” Lead sax player Mark Rivera supplied bacon during his solo for “New York State of Mind.”

Song choice during the middle fit the Mohegan Sun crowd — a pure cross-section of New Englanders and New Yorkers. “New York State of Mind” joined cousins “Movin’ Out” and “Zanzibar,” while the New England wistfulness of “Don’t Ask Me Why” sat well next to the picturesque classic “She’s Always a Woman.”

When Joel spoke, however, his snide New Yawk sensibility surfaced. He slid a Yankees/Red Sox battle into his banter, shoving off the Sox before launching into “Zanzibar,” the 1978 jazz foray that found many younger fans heading for the bathrooms. It was here, though, where Joel felt most comfortable, easily gliding home without needing to impress the fans.

Some songs required Joel to be active, and this is where he failed most. “We Didn’t Start the Fire” fell flat with Joel ripping off the laundry-list lyrics stoically. “Allentown,” one of Joel’s best pure pop songs, felt left behind. “Captain Jack,” which benefited from the band’s full sound, didn’t have the epic feel of the 1972 original. Through much of the show Joel remained parked at the piano, seemingly very tired, sometimes even bored.

Alas, it was the first of 10 shows, and if Joel learns from the second half of his show, the microphone will permeate hops and barley yet.